Bute

Bute Youth Action Group

(Bute YAG)

Live Argyll youth work team support Bute Youth action group (YAG) to meet weekly the Moat Community Education Centre. Bute YAG is open to all young people attending secondary school. This is a safe space where young people have fun, build relationships and explore issues relevant to them and their communities. Young people have the opportunity to take part in personal development activities/ training, to explore local/personal issues and learn how to deal with them, to volunteer including within the community.

Through regular consultation Workers support young people to plan their own projects and activities that run throughout the year. We use the Youth Work Skills Framework to help with understanding learning and measure the impact of participation in activities.

Argyll and Bute Youth Action Council (ABYAC)

Article 12 of the UNCRC has been incorporated into Scot's law, this means that it is a legal right for young people to have their voices heard in matters that affect them.

We refer to The Lundy model ensuring young people have the space to express their views, for their voice is enabled, that they have an audience for their views and that their views will have influence where it maters to them.

Bute & Kintyre Youth Action Groups got together many times over a six month period to develop a youth engagement model that works for them. They asked along partners including councilors, teachers and police as part of this process hearing why their voice is important and can make a difference.

Argyll and Bute Youth Action Council (ABYAC) on Bute is made up by young people aged 11 to 18 recruited from Bute YAG, School Council and other local youth organisations. They represent youth views locally, as well as across the local authority, and nationally. ABYAC members host three Sittings throughout each year with three meetings during each Sitting where they discuss local youth issues, possible solutions, and then share what they have discussed with local services and decision makers with the aim of bringing about positive youth led change.

ABYAC local campaign - Project Doggie Doo

Identifying Issue

We discussed lots of issues and identified dog fouling as a major issue in the town. After a vote we decided this was something we would like to look into more and see where we could help to make positive change.

We made lists to work out why we wanted to do this campaign.

We called it

Project Doggie Doo.

Exploring Issue

We mapped out areas where doggie doo was worst.

We invited the environmental warden in to discuss the issues. doggie doo is only a small part of his job so we agreed to help.

He gave us stickers and banners to put out in hotspots we identified.

Fot continuity we decided to us the Argyll and Bute Council's Tagline.

"See it, Report it"

Taking Action

We asked IT to make us a QR Code so people could report it. We made posters and put them, the banners and stickers all around the hotspots.

ABYAC National engagement

Just Transport Transition Plan Consultation

The draft of the Just Transition Plan for Transport was launched on Monday 24th February 2025 and was open for public consultation until 19th May 2025. YouthLink Scotland worked in partnership ABYAC to gain young people’s views. The aim of the project was to engage with young people along with Scottish Government Climate Change Public Engagement team.

Workers facilitated ABYAC groups and completed the report required for Scottish Government. The young people involved received feedback on their input and thanks from the Scottish Government via Youth Scotland.